


5 People Who Conspired to Get Michael, Alex, and Maria Talking and Bonus Brunch

by MaliciaStarling



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Talkfest, drunk!michael, setting up a V
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 17:04:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18370343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliciaStarling/pseuds/MaliciaStarling
Summary: You remember those talkfest movies of the 90's?  This is a Roswell version of that plus lots of conspirators.  Because Michael and Maria and Alex need all the help they can get!  Also this is building up to a very clear V not a triad I know Alex is gay. This is going to be a series not finished.





	5 People Who Conspired to Get Michael, Alex, and Maria Talking and Bonus Brunch

**Author's Note:**

> If Michael seems ooc its because he's drunk or hungover most of the time. Which honestly now he's torn up by feelings why shouldn't he be?
> 
> Also everyone refers to Cam as Cam and I totally thought was her name until I looked her up and I found out she's Jenna! so um just go with it she's Cam in my story.

 

**Liz**

Texts from Maria to Liz: Have you seen my necklace? Can’t find it.

Liz to Maria: Sorry, checked the car its not in the there.  Have you asked Michael?  By the way where’d you two go off to?

Maria to Liz: What happens in Texas stays in Texas!

Liz to Maria: Oh come on! I’ll trade you boy stories!!!

After that Liz couldn’t get a hold of Maria on her phone for nearly a week. At first she didn’t think much of it because she was busy wrapped up in Max.  Watching the sunset with him from his house discovering the taste of his skin. The first few days they wanted to go slow and forced themselves to go their separate ways after epic makeout sessions by the fire watching the sun go down wrapped up in each other’s arms. But she knew she had a habit of being a bad friend when she got caught up in her own life so she drove to Wild Pony when Max had to work late one night.

Exactly a week had passed since they’d come back from their trip and she’d seen Maria and Liz felt ashamed that it had taken her this long to come looking for Maria.  Sure there’d been the texts the day after but then nothing.  Good thing it was a Friday and she could get drunk and stay until the late hours to dish about Max and Michael if anything had really happened.

The first thing Liz noticed when she walked in was Maria was the necklace was back.

“You found it!” Liz reached out for the citrine stone on silver.

“Yep.” Maria said and turned away to make change.

Liz poured herself a beer and checked her messages. “So since you didn’t let me know you found it, I’m guessing Michael had it.”

“Yes Michael had it. He fixed the clasp for me.”

“Ok so either you forgot that you gave him the necklace to work on and that’s why you texted me asking about it or you left with him when you two were otherwise entangled.” Liz tried not to grin too much about it Maria had a habit of bantering with Michael but since Liz she’d gotten back she kinda felt like a match maker trying to get two of her friends together.

“I thought Max was the cop,” Maria said frowning. “Its not what you think.”

“What’s not what I think?” Liz gave an innocent expression.

“It’s more complicated than that.” Maria was a psychic after all and she knew what Liz was thinking and that she and Michael had disappeared for a whole night and driven back together. But then Liz rescued her from “I don’t want to talk about it.” Speech she was about to give.

“Look I know Michael now I’ve been spending a lot of time with him during these past six weeks and he can be a great guy when you get over the whole gruff cowboy exterior he cares a lot about Max and Isobel.  And you know Isobel she’s not as bad as you think Rosa was afraid of her but she wasn’t herself it was like dissociative disorder thing. And she’s better now.”

Maria was shocked well and truly shocked by this. Of all the people to come to Isobel’s defense she did not expect Elizabeth Ortecho to be defending her.  “So you forgive her for all that?”

“Well I mean it was hard I’m not gonna lie but yeah it wasn’t Isobel’s fault that Rosa got caught up in her other personality and left that night to avoid her.”

“Yeah they did some hypnosis on Isobel and she remembered talking to Rosa as the other personality and that’s why she went away to get treatment.  But back to you and Michael.  You should try to like make it more than a one night stand with him I know he has it in him to boyfriend material.”

“Liz stop.” Maria stopped her too late, the words were out she’d heard them and they hurt unexpectedly. What Liz didn’t know is that Kyle was drinking with Cam just within earshot of Liz and Maria.  “He’s got a history with Alex, I didn’t know but it’s complicated.  So it can’t happen again.  It was a mistake.  I’m just his bartender anyways.”

Just then Michael came in and Liz saw for herself that all their friendly banter their back and forth was gone.  Once when Liz was coming back from the bathroom she caught Michael trying to pay and Maria tried to wave it off saying that she owed him for the clasp of her necklace.

“I thought since you kicked me out the other night…”

“What that I didn’t owe you?” Maria said.  “You fixed my my clasp I owe you free booze.”

“Friends don’t owe friends.” Michael said simply.  “And they don’t try to take advantage let me pay half.”  He laid some bills on the bar.

When Liz walked up it looked like Maria was still debating whether or not to take the money.  Michael gently but firmly but the money in her hand letting his hands linger on hers.  He was looking down at their hands before turning around and leaving.

“Bye Maria, Liz.”

 

**Kyle**

“Earth to Kyle? Hello?”  Cam waved a hand in front of his face.  He’d been trying to get a glimpse of Maria’s face in the shiny napkin dispenser but could only see her looking down and taking a swig of her beer.

The rest of the night passed in a blur of beer and burgers with Cam.  He wasn’t sure if he really had it in him to pursue anything serious.  It was getting to be somewhat of a habit of his sharing bed partners with Max Evans.  He groaned as he heard his cellphone go off.  It was the hospital they were short staffed.  Cam was a light sleeper and got up with him.

“No you stay in.”

“Don’t worry about it, my shift starts in like two hours anyways.  I’ll just head to the gym.”

All morning long Kyle was busy with rounds and on his feet.  It wasn’t until lunchtime until he dropped in on Liz in her new temporary digs in the basement of the hospital.  He knew without texting she would be in on a Saturday.  Luckily all of her research had been uploaded to the cloud and she just had to resynthesize the serum for the 4th alien just in case they couldn’t stop him/her/they. And more of the antidote in order to incentivize him/her/they to cooperate.  

“So I was at the Wild Pony last night with Cam.”

“Oh really?” Liz raised an eyebrow.  “Are you, Cam, Max and I just like in rectangle? Like did we just swap partners?”

“Um kind of?” Kyle laughed. “Well it is a small town so the options are limited don’t judge.”  

“Hey I’m not judging.”

“Look I kinda wanted to talk to you about Alex and Maria.”

“What about Alex and Maria?”

“Well I’ve been trying to get Alex to talk to me about his personal life but he’s all business all the time but apparently he thinks Michael is trying to leave the planet?  Or something? And I don’t know that’s making him hesitate with starting things back up with Michael.  He only told me because he was wondering if the fourth alien might come out of hiding if he realizes that Michael is trying to rebuild the console. But I am sure they were broken up when Michael and Maria got together.”

“You are such a gossip Kyle.  I love it!!!” Liz grinned.

“Well if we were a rectangle they’re a triangle.” Kyle quipped

“No this is the exact type of thing that Maria hates she can’t come between Alex and Michael.” Liz said taking a sip of her iced tea.

“Isobel!” They both said immediately.

“No but first you need to take out Alex for a drink.”

“Believe me I’ve tried but he never agrees to go for one!  Finally Cam agreed when she joined us and one thing led to another.”

“Kyle how long ago was that?”

“Ok it was like I don’t know weeks ago at least.”

“You get him to get out to get a drink with you at the Wild Pony or a burger doesn’t matter just get him relaxed and I’ll get Isobel in the vicinity to read his mind about him and Michael.”

“Why don’t we just get Isobel to read Michael’s mind?”

“He’ll feel it.”

 

**Max**

Was basically in the same bubble of honeymoon glow that Liz was feeling except probably a bit happier since his sister was out of the pod and he could feel that warm presence again.  Ever since she’d taken the antidote and they knew the truth behind those blackouts it had been a huge weight off his shoulders. True a new menace lurked but now it wasn’t just three against the world it was three plus Liz, Kyle, Cam and Alex so seven who knew the truth and could fight this fourth alien. Now that Liz was making the poison again they’d even have a weapon.

He tried to live for the moments he had with Liz with her wrapped up in his arms when he got to kiss her.  But it didn’t escape his notice that Michael and Isobel were making themselves scarce.  Sure they talked and texted all the time and got lunch but mostly his dinners and mornings had been with Liz.

It didn’t escape his notice that Michael was somewhat withdrawn. Gruff and more sarcastic than usual but then that might just be because… wait didn’t he just bed Maria down in Texas less than a week ago? So what was up with him?

It was time he found out what was going on with Michael.   And since Liz never came over last night Saturday morning would do.  He knocked for five minutes straight. Finally he realized Michael must be underneath the trailer and made the lights flicker in the basement and called.

“Open up I have doughnuts and coffee.” Max said persuasively.

“You’re such a stereotype.” Michael replied but he moved the trailer anyways. As soon as Michael emerged he dove into the bag anyways they sat down went into the trailer to watch tv.

“So what’s up with you?” Max asked after Michael swallowed his first half of a donut.

“Whaddya mean?”

“You’ve been awol.”

“No I haven’t.”

“Uh yes you have, I’ve invited you and Isobel over for dinner three times this week she canceled twice understandable she misses Noah and she had me talking to her for six weeks and you didn’t even answer.”

“So?”

“So you never say no to free food.”

“What’s with the interrogation?”

“If you don’t tell me what’s up with you I’ll get Isobel to get inside your head.”

“Aghhhh don’t do that I get a headache from trying to keep her out.”

“Well then?”

Michael hung his head drank down half his coffee and said, “Boy trouble.”

“I thought…”

“Alex broke up with me, well left me in the wind for a month, then broke up with me and then Maria happened in Texas.  Then he came back says he wants to be my friend first and like you know everything I know about the government conspiracy now which I wish we could see for ourselves but it’s literally on government property. He found out about Maria like the day after because I had her necklace in my boot when I took it out.  I don’t know what he told Maria but she kicked me out of the bar when I took her necklace back.  She never kicks me out if I’m not starting a brawl.  I don’t know if she gets I want to be her friend.  Kinda felt like she was choosing to be his friend.  I guess because they’re Besties or whatever. But like I’ve been around here for years she’s confided in me too man.”

Max had never heard Michael express himself so well over a woman.  Most of his bed buddies were more like scratching posts situations and not even with women that he knew very well.  And it sounded like he wanted this to be friends with benefits kinda thing.  Where you really care about the person you’re bedding…

“So you and Alex are good now?”

“I don’t know.  He left when I told him about the console I’m rebuilding just because it could maybe one day leave the planet. Hasn’t been back since.”

“What about Maria?”

“Saw her last night at the Pony.  She was about to give me free booze but I’ve been getting paid pretty well so I paid half my tab.”

“Are you sure you’re ok?”

“No I’m not ok man!  You and Isobel both have someone now. I thought I had Alex, and Maria as a friend maybe Liz too. But they’ll all just choose other people instead of me.”

“I know Liz sees you as a friend you just gotta come over for dinner.”

“And see you have what I don’t have?  You and I used to make fun of Isobel for being all lovey dovey.  Look maybe Alex and I will sort it out, maybe he’ll drop me and I can work it out with Maria. I have two hands.”

“You’re joking.”

“Well no not at the same time.  Alex is gay. But maybe in a perfect world I could have them both.”

“But why?”

“I kinda fell in love with Alex when I was a kid but I didn’t know him, its physical and like we’re trying to get to know each other.  But with Maria I’ve been bantering with her for ages the sexual tension has given way to her confiding in me like two months ago and I don’t know I just really like her. There’s that saying familiarity breeds contempt well what if it breeds something more like… intense like?”

Max knew that Michael was making an effort to spill his feelings here and he suspected that it was more akin to love.  “I think if you really want them both then you gotta start fighting for them both now.”

“Max it’s a dream, I’m still drunk from last night.  It’ll never happen.  I could never be that happy.”

“But what if you could? I got Liz after twenty years of pining.”

“So you’re saying that after waiting for ten years I just gotta wait ten more years for Alex?”

“He’s only half the dream right?”

“Even if he went for it which is a big if who’s to say Maria would go for it?”

Max knew that Michael had given up a lot to look after Isobel as had he but this dream didn’t seem so farfetched did it?  Alex and Maria were really close to Liz maybe he could talk to her and tell her to get them to what… share Michael?  Was it so strange?

He’d heard a lot about the Mormons and their sister wives, the communes and their polygamous families that his grandparents told him about.  

On his way to pick up Liz he rehearsed what he’d say to Liz. It was a lot. First they had to get Maria to be ok with Michael again talking to him in a friendly situation.  Maybe have brunch tomorrow at his place tomorrow morning.  He’d let Liz arrange it. Question was who should come?  Maria, Michael, and Alex or just Maria and Michael?

**Jenna (Cam)**

“You want me to do what?” she stopped in the middle of her tracks and got back into her truck just outside the bunker that was Project Shepard and stared at her phone.  The screen clearly had a picture of her current bed buddy/co-conspirator Kyle Valenti, “I’m not asking Alex about his love life I barely talk about my love life to anyone.”

“No, no I’m not asking you to ask him about his love life I just want you to get him to agree to get some drinks with us at the Wild Pony or maybe some dinner at the Crashdown whichever he wants. Just let me know where he wants to go, it’ll be the three of us of course but tell him we never get to hang out and you’re getting tired of me or something.”

“Well you do have a habit of talking about your patients when I’m just trying to Netflix and chill.”

“You could talk about your job.”

“Nah my job is boring its half desk job half patrol.”

“Well then just tell Alex that I’m tired of the bunker and would rather meet somewhere else for once. I don’t know make something up.”

As soon as Cam stepped into the bunker she saw Alex watching the surveillance of Guerin’s place.  She stood there in the doorway not closing the metal doors for a solid minute and it struck her that as annoying as her current bed buddy was about this particular issue all of the sudden he did know Alex better than she did.  Why Kyle needed to be his friend didn’t just leave it up to Liz and Maria Cam didn’t understand but she’d do as she was asked there was probably a good reason.

“Hey there Manes.” She said cheerily as she closed the door noisily giving him time to switch the screens to something innocuous.

“Cam.” Alex replied.

“Just got off the phone with Kyle he says Liz just finished synthesizing the serum for the fourth alien and the antidote should be ready soon so now we just need a plan to lure him/her/they out. I’ve been working on a theory of the victims but before I dive into my theory I was wondering we always work in this dark bunker why don’t we go out tonight? Kyle wants to go out for dinner and talk theories over dinner wanna meet him at the Wild Pony or the Crashdown?”

Alex looked at her for just a second too long before answering her and she was a bit afraid that she’d rushed into it.

“Did Kyle put you up to this?”

“I literally said Kyle wants to go out.” She laughed and smiled at him.  She knew he was gay but she also knew that humans tended to smile when smiled at.

“Right you did say that, and he did ask me for drinks before.  I thought maybe it might be awkward for him if people saw him with me before but since you’ll be with us I guess there’s no need to worry.”

“Hey he told me about being a douchebag in highschool and how he’s sorry about that.  You don’t have to be worried about being seen alone with him he doesn’t mind a few rumors.  He’s very confident probably too confident.”

“Ok let’s go to the Crashdown the foods better.”

“Sure but if we don’t get some drinks in me by ten tonight this Saturday is officially a loss.”

“Fine we’ll stop by the Wild Pony afterwards.”

And so that’s what they did.  The food at the Crashdown was much better they even had vegan options well one vegan option now. They talked about mundane stuff like when the snow was going to let up and when this government was going to get ICE out of their town.  For Cam and Kyle who saw families torn apart by ICE weekly it seemed this weighed heavily on them and Alex listened to them with a sympathetic ear. Finally when the food was done they pored over Cam and Max’s written theories.  One of the things that connected all other victims after Rosa was that they’d never be missed. Some were vagrants others were hitchhikers that some truck drivers could identify. Some were definitely undocumented it was the only explanation for the fact that there was no record of them in any database. 

“I can hack into the Mexican database but I don’t read Spanish I can only remember how to like speak it somewhat like high school level.” Alex noted.

At this point all three of them had finished their milkshakes and read through the files were standing up to leave.

“I can read Spanish but I’m pretty sure Liz is better at it than I am.” Kyle said as they piled into Cam’s truck. 

“Wild Pony or Saturn’s Rings?” Cam asked.

“Wild Pony.” Kyle replied.

“Saturn’s Rings.” Alex said at the exact same time.  “But whatever it’s your car we’ll go wherever you want.”

“You sure?” Cam said looking at him in the rearview mirror.  “Because Maria doesn’t water down her alcohol.”

“Yeah you’re right let’s go there.”

When they’d arrived at the Wild Pony the three of them ordered a round of shots and a round of beers.

Maria served them with a smile.  As she was leaving Alex got up.

“I see you got your necklace back.” Alex said quietly and downed his tequila shot. Maria looked down clutching her necklace pursing her lips together.

“Yeah.”

“Michael come by to give it back?”

“He fixed it.”

Cam knew that look on her face the downcast eyes, the pursed lips, she didn’t need to be a psychic to know that Maria had accidentally stepped into something with Michael when Alex had broken up with him and now Alex was digging for more information.  Cam stood up too.

“Maria where do we sign up for karaoke?  Max says you’ve got a wonderful voice I want to sing before you because I won’t get the courage to go after you.”

“Well he’s very sweet but he’s from a small town and in awe of my bravado and big hair. Sign ups are by the stage. I go on whenever someone chickens out so depending on the Saturday that can be a little or a lot.”

Maria squeezed Cam’s forearm in a quick silent thanks for ending Alex’s interrogation and made her escape.

The rest of the night they took turns singing and drinking and laughing. Maria sang once because someone chickened out and twice because of popular demand.  She was a real star and Cam was right to want to go before she went on the crowd loved Maria.

Unfortunately Maria never came back to talk to the trio again besides refilling their drinks.  Even for karaoke it wasn’t packed and there was at least two other servers.  Mostly because of the snow everyone choosing to stay in.

She had to trust that Kyle, Liz and Max knew what they were doing. Because so far getting Alex out of the bunker had been good but getting Maria and Alex to talk about things had been a disaster.   Then she noticed Isobel in a booth hadn’t she been at the Crashdown too?  What were the chances that she had been sent to influence Alex and Maria? She hadn’t done a very good job of getting Alex to stop digging into Maria. Maybe that was on her To-Do list.

**Isobel**

Around lunchtime Isobel got a call from Liz. 

“What’s up?”

“Got a mission for you.”

“Fourth alien related?” Isobel tensed.

“No, no completely human.”

“What do I need to do?”

“No influencing yet just poking around in Alex’s head to find out how he really feels about Michael.”

“Why don’t you just ask Maria to do it?”

“She’s working tonight and you’re not so come on help us out.  Plus didn’t you say your powers have been easier to use since you took the antidote?”

“Yeah, yeah ok I’ll do it but if they go to the Crashdown you’re comping my meal.”

“Only because I know you’ll throw it up after.” She actually didn’t throw up after every head invasion especially after the antidote but she wasn’t going to tell Liz that just yet when she was getting her meal comped.     

“Noah’s too.”

“Fine, fine.”

Just then there was a knock on her door and she opened up to Max.

“Isobel we have to do something about Michael.”

“I’m already doing something.”

“Wait-what?”

Max relayed the entire conversation he had with Michael practically without taking a breath.  “He’s torn between two people Isobel. And he’s so depressed he’s turning down free food at my place.”

“I thought it was odd that he wasn’t responding to the group texts you were sending.  So get this Liz called before you came.”

And she described the conversation she had with Liz which amounted to find out how does Alex feel about Michael and what’s the hold up?

“Good! Ok so do that when they go out tonight and then somehow do the same thing when you next see Maria.  See if Maria would be willing to share Michael with Alex.”

“Should I influence her and Alex?”

“No because that would not be enthusiastic consent. And I know you’re just kidding.” By the grin on her face she was. “So first we have to get them all in the same room talking to each other. Maybe Maria talking to Michael first? I don’t know get in there and do some recon. You don’t want get sick again like when you tried to influence Liz at the drive-in and Rosa appeared and you found out she really was in love with me. This is just recon.”

“But what if I just nudge them into talking to Michael again?”

“That works.  I’m going to get Liz to organize a brunch at my place for the three of them I’ll stagger their arrivals we’ll pick them up that way we control when they get there and they have time to talk.”

 So that evening Isobel and Noah waited for the texts from Kyle to confirm they were indeed headed to the Crashdown first.  She made sure to pack a big bag full of acetone in the car and Noah wear a big jacket with big pockets to carry two extra bottles of the stuff. It was going to be a long night.

At first it was an easy enough read.  Alex was annoyed at Michael for being bisexual and sleeping with Maria but he could get over that really that wasn’t the real problem since they were broken up when it happened.  No the real problem was Alex was afraid that Michael was trying to rebuild the ship. The news hit Isobel pretty hard but she had to sort through the emotions and lies Alex was telling himself.  The biphobia and annoyance at Maria was just a cover for the fact that he was truly terrified that Michael wasn’t human not in the xenophobic sense. Rather in the he’s not of this earth he’ll want to go back to his people.  And Alex with the terrible homophobic father who thought he’d found a kindred spirit in Michael someone who didn’t have a good home life knew the pull of the possibility that someone out there might be missing you a real parent who really did care for you. After all didn’t how many times had his mother tried to take him away from his father but the courts failed to award her custody?

When Isobel came out of Alex’s head they leaving from the Crashdown and Noah was trying to get Isobel moving.  She was drunk from the information dump in Alex’s mind and let Noah steer her into their SUV.

They followed the trio to the Wild Pony and choose a booth well out of Maria’s way just in case Maria still didn’t like her.   When they arrived Alex was already just starting to confront Maria about return of the necklace.  It wasn’t strange to see a scene and not know the words being said so she delved into Maria’s mind because Max had said not to influence anyone and truth be told she didn’t exactly want to spare Maria a harsh word or two. 

In Maria’s mind she found nothing new Maria had not known about Alex and Michael’s history.  She felt deeply embarrassed about it because she really had thought she was getting into a kind of friends with benefits situation with Michael.  Something she rarely did but she had been ready to make an exception this once because Michael was so easy to kiss and so quick to lend a shoulder to cry on he didn’t expect her to be her own savior.   They’d bonded in a moment of desperation she rarely had with anyone even her friends, bantered for the better part of ten years letting their sexual tension mount until it exploded into a fiery blaze.  Maria would give all that up because she knew Alex had probably loved boy for those ten years.

Isobel was lost in these feelings from Maria until she heard Cam break through the memories and images.  She didn’t know what to do with all this information from Alex and Maria.  Head swirling with images of Michael in the morning light or in the museum, in his trailer, in the the bar, it was hard to tell which came from whom at the moment anymore.  She went to the bathroom with her enormous bag of acetone and sat in a stall to sort the images.  In the long run she knew Maria had put up with Michael the longest had been a better friend had come by her feelings for him honestly not been used as some ploy by Michael.  Isobel knew him enough to know that.  And Alex? Alex she couldn’t figure out she knew he was hiding something from her though it was there in the edges in his anger at Michael for wanting to leave a void of information like he was compartmentalizing something intentionally.  She’d seen it before in people who were trained for counter intelligence.

When Isobel came out Maria was singing Believe by Cher.  Someone said she was doing like Adam Lambert and they all pulled out their phones and lit them up.  True Isobel wanted to throw up but it was only because she’d spent the past two hours in and out of two peoples minds trying to decipher their intentions towards Michael.  Sometimes seeing him half or more naked.  It was more than she had bargained for and yet she realized nothing that Michael and Max hadn’t done for her.  They had just gone through hell for the past ten years thinking they were accomplices to a triple homicide.  Max and Michael hadn’t gone away to college they hadn’t traveled they’d just stayed here with her taking care of her.   It humbled her deeply and she wanted to throw up again for a completely different reason.  Discreetly she poured some acetone into her glass of water and sipped at it.  She had to call Max.

 

**Sunday Morning**

“Why exactly did you have to pick me up Max?” Asked Michael.

“Because I was getting stuff from the store.” Max said.

**_Meanwhile…_ **

“Why did you have to pick me up Liz?”

“Well I didn’t have to pick you up but the Wild Pony is on the way from the Crashdown.”

“You don’t really expect me to believe that you and Max haven’t been spending every single night together?”

“We’ve been taking it very slow because,” she almost told Maria the truth and said _he hasn’t had sex since blacked out the town and he’s not sure he’s safe but hey I ran every test I can think on him so we’re reasonably sure he’s ok._ “He’s a romantic we want to go away for the weekend make it really special maybe go to the Grand Canyon maybe down to Baja.”

“Fancy!”

“If we go to a beach it’d be even better I’ve always wanted to go on one of those ships where they take you out to see the whales.”

“There’s my little scientist.”

“Liz, what is Michael doing at your brunch I thought Kyle and Cam were coming?”

“Oh yeah they canceled.”

“Somehow, Michael does not strike me as a brunch sort of guy.”

“I heard that and I’m a food sort of guy so wherever it and booze are I am and I’ve been very hungry this week avoiding these two but they promised to keep the lovey dovey shit to a minimum.”  Michael strode up to Maria holding two bags of groceries.  “Isobel says you sang beautifully last night.”

Maria was just taking some of the stuff out of the bags and looked at him mouth open.  He’d paid her a compliment.  First of all it was hard to believe Isobel would ever pay her a compliment second of all she had spotted her and didn’t want to wait on her.  Like despite everything Liz had said she didn’t need to deal with that old animosity between them and now a compliment? And delivered by Michael no less?  After she’d kicked him out of her bar less than a week ago?

“Tell her thanks I guess.”  Maria said lamely.

Michael enjoyed the look of confusion on her face, relished it actually.  He knew Maria was trying to accept that Isobel wasn’t to blame for Rosa’s death and that she had confused Rosa before she died but it would take a while for it to sink in and especially since they couldn’t tell her the truth.  Then he felt bad about that. Well why couldn’t they tell her the truth?  She should know.  Maria was the only human in their circle of friends that didn’t know and it was bordering on cruelty that she didn’t know.

“Maria can you come outside with me please?”

“Guerin I’m trying to help in the kitchen you could too you know.”

“I really need to talk to you.”

“Go with him Maria Max and I got this.” Liz urged.

Michael opened the door for Maria to the patio where the chairs were.  “Can we talk for a little bit?”

“About?”

“Um I need to show you something.”

“Guerin just tell me I don’t feel comfortable just the two of us anymore when you and Alex have a history.”

“Look Alex and I we’re not together anymore we were broken up when you and I slept together… But anyways he knows what I’m going to show you I just need you to know something.  Show you something.  Sit down.”

“But if you weren’t together and you’re not together now then why…?”

“I think he wants to be friends first because we were never really friends which ok I’ve never done with anyone besides you.  Stop distracting me! Are you ready?”

“Ready for what just show me!”

Michael concentrated on the chair in front of them and levitated it a few inches off the floor.

“Haha Guerin very funny where’s the trick?”

“There’s no trick Maria and why don’t you call me Michael anymore?”

Truth was she didn’t like calling him Michael unless they were being intimate. “I’m going inside if you don’t tell me the trick.”

“I’m an alien that crashed here in 1947 and gestated for 70 years and hatched in ‘97.  I have telekinesis.”

“That’s not funny Michael Guerin you know my mother raves about aliens all the time.  How dare you make fun of me!!!”

“I’m not making fun of you!  I swear look I’ll move the car!!!”  he shifted the car back and forth gently careful not to crash it into Liz’s.

Max came running out, “Michael what the hell?!”

“I had to tell her Max it was time, besides with this fourth alien running around its too dangerous for her not to know.”

“Wait Max knew?” Maria demanded

“I am an alien too.” Max clarified.

Max took her inside and flickered the lights she gasped.  She put two and two together that he caused the blackout but they just explained that was the first time his powers were on the fritz.

“Why now Michael?”

It warmed Michael’s heart to hear her use his first name.  “Because you’re my friend and I want to protect you there’s something dangerous coming.”

They went back to explain about the fourth alien and how it had been controlling people and killing people and how the first victim had been Rosa.  Maria sobbed bitterly with Liz.  It was better that Isobel wasn’t there. They took a break and ate their food with screwdrivers and mimosas.  If they had too much alcohol no one said anything because frankly everyone was stressing out over the revelations.

“Is this why you and Max never left town?” Maria asked quietly.

“Yeah.” Michael replied refilling her mimosa.   “Will you be my best friend now?”

“What?”

“I’m not asking again.”

“Why do you want to be best friends?”

“You’re the closest thing I have to a best friend outside of Max, Isobel, and Liz.  And Liz is like an in law so she doesn’t count.”

“But Michael why did you go through the trouble of telling me all this if you just want me to be your best friend?  I would have been your best friend without all this.”

“I wanted you to know me. And I wanted more than just sexy banter.  I mean its great it leads to amazing sex but since you said that’s off the table… are we sure its off the table?” Michael looked at her intently.

“Unless Alex agrees that he’s ok with us having sex.”

“Ok good because guess who’s coming to next week’s brunch?”

“Wait no I cannot do this again next week!”

**Author's Note:**

> Please provide feedback its been years I've written anything that I've posted. So even a short hey I thought you rambled is fine!


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